A Story of a Healing Relationship: The Person-Centered Approach in Expressive Arts Therapy

Kim, Sunhee

Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, v5 n1 p93-98 2010

In expressive arts therapy, visual art, movement, music, poetry, and creative writing offer clients opportunities to explore their hidden feelings expressed in the art forms. The colors, lines, motions, or sounds expressed during the therapy session promote better understanding of the self with support of the therapist. It is crucial to have a creative connection, not only between the self and its inner world but also between the client and the therapist for the healing process to unfold. This article presents a story of a healing relationship using Rogers's person-centered approach in expressive arts therapy. (Contains 2 figures.)